Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Single parameter indices and bibliometric outliers

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we look at the issue of the high-end of research performance which is captured in the tail of a citation distribution. As the mean is insufficient to capture the skewness of such distributions, a consistency or concentration measure is the additional parameter needed. We show that the h-index is only approximately a heuristic mock of a composite indicator built from three primary indicators which are the number, mean and consistency term. The z-index is able to sense the change in consistency in the distribution due to the outliers in the tail of the distribution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • De Visscher, A. (2011). What does the g-index really measure? Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(11), 2290–2293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garfield, E. (1955). Citation indexes to science: A new dimension in documentation through association of ideas. Science, 122(3159), 108–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garfield, E. (1999). Journal impact factor: A brief review. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 161(8), 979–980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garfield, E. (2005). The agony and the ecstasy: The history and meaning of the journal impact factor. In International Congress on Peer Review and Biomedical Publication. Retrieved Oct 15, 2013 from http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/papers/jifchicago2005.pdf.

  • Glänzel, W. (2009). The multi-dimensionality of journal impact. Scientometrics, 78(2), 355–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W. (2013a). High-end performance or outlier? Evaluating the tail of scientometric distribution. Scientometrics, 97(1), 13–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W. (2013b). The application of citation-based performance classes in disciplinary and multidisciplinary assessment. In J. Gorraiz, E. Schiebel, Ch. Gumpenberger, M. Hörlesberger, & H. F. Moed (Eds.), Proceedings of ISSI 2013—The 14th International Conference on Scientometrics and Informetrics, Vienna, Austria (Vol. I, pp. 109–122).

  • Glanzel, W., & Moed, H. F. (2013). Opinion paper: thoughts and facts on bibliometric indicators. Scientometrics, 96(1), 381–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W., Thijs, B., Debackere, K. (2013). The application of citation-based performance classes in institutional research assessment. In S. Hinze, A. Lottmann (Eds.), Translational Twists and Turns: Science as a Socio-Economic Endeavour, Proceedings of STI 2013 Berlin (18th International Conference on Science and Technology Indicators) (pp. 122–129).

  • Hirsch, J.E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Vol. 102, no. 46, pp. 16569–16572).

  • Pendlebury, D. A., & Adams, J. (2012). Comments on a critique of the Thomson Reuters journal impact factor. Scientometrics, 92(2), 395–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2010a). Is there a place for a mock h-index? Scientometrics, 84, 153–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2010b). The 100 most prolific economists using the p-index. Scientometrics, 84, 167–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2011a). The energy–exergy–entropy (or EEE) sequences in bibliometric assessment. Scientometrics, 87, 515–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2011b). Quasity, when quantity has a quality all of its own—Toward a theory of performance. Scientometrics, 88, 555–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2013a). The Zynergy-index and the formula for the h-index. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. doi:10.1002/asi.23046.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2013b). Quantity, quality, and consistency as bibliometric indicators. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. doi:10.1002/asi.23008.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2013c). Measures for impact, consistency, and the h- and g-indices. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. doi:10.1002/asi.23028.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695019, India

    Gangan Prathap

Authors
  1. Gangan Prathap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gangan Prathap.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prathap, G. Single parameter indices and bibliometric outliers. Scientometrics 101, 1781–1787 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-013-1225-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-013-1225-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation